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WHAT would you do with $80 million? Some of Australia's financially stricken basketballers could give tips to NBA compatriot Andrew Bogut, who is set to receive that figure in just over four weeks as part of a contract extension.

While the Sydney Kings and Brisbane Bullets are on the verge of collapse - and in their predicament the future of the entire NBL competition looks uncertain - Bogut must now send his trousers to a tailor who can resize his already bulging pockets.

The gulf in comparison between the American and Australian leagues would be laughable were it not so serious, with several unpaid Kings players hoping to dip into a "hardship fund" and unsure if they can make their next mortgage repayment while desperate Sydney and Brisbane franchise owners seek new investors.

The deal Bogut is negotiating is worth an estimated $13.3 million a season over six years with his club, the Milwaukee Bucks, is expected to be formally announced on July 1. By then, both Sydney and Brisbane could be defunct.

Three more players were released by the Bullets yesterday, leaving just two - Ebi Ere and Sam Mackinnon - officially rostered to the franchise. Ere and Mackinnon, aware that departing Bullets owner Eddy Groves has until June 30 to find a new buyer, are also expected to seek a release - so Brisbane could soon have no players.

Groves is suffering after shares in his ABC Learning business empire plummeted earlier this year and cannot afford to keep the Bullets, while Kings owner Tim Johnston, the boss of Firepower, is dealing with his own money troubles while questions over the inner workings of his company go unanswered.

Kings players are livid that Johnson has not contacted them to explain their non-payment, and the NBL's chief executive, Chuck Harmison, remained perturbed as Johnston failed to surface following an overseas trip in which he was believed to be pitching a sale to would-be buyers in the Philippines.

"We can't make him come back," Harmison said yesterday. "Hopefully, he does the right thing."

The Kings have until June 11 to rectify outstanding player payments or risk losing their licence.

"Mick, 'Gibbo' and Chris all requested a release from their existing contracts with the Bullets so that they could explore other playing opportunities," spokeswoman Narelle Kelly said in a statement.

"Under the extraordinary circumstances, the club agreed it would be in their best interests. It would have been unethical of us to hold our players to these agreements whilst there is such uncertainty surrounding the future of the team."

Bogut, asked by Channel 10 what the deal would mean to him, said: "More stress now, I guess."

The 23-year-old must have the weight of the world on his shoulders. "It definitely is [a lot of money], uncomfortable to talk about, to be honest," he added.

The Bucks recently snared former Chicago Bulls coach Scott Skiles as their new shot-caller, and he is obviously keen on the towering Australian centre. "He's doing what you would want any young big guy to do, showing constant improvement," Skiles told Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel last month. "Young big guys like that, you worry if they seem to be plateauing.

"He doesn't seem to be doing anything like that. It's logical to assume he's going to continue to get better."

As Bogut wonders what to do with money that would allow him to buy the Kings and Bullets five times over, the NBL is in a mess.

Organisers are in the midst of negotiating a new television deal with Fox Sports but, if the league does not include Sydney or Brisbane, the broadcaster's interest will wane significantly.